The Dodgers will sign Michael Conforto

The Dodgers have agreed to a deal with the outfielder Michele Confortoaccording to a report by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez adds that Conforto’s deal with LA is a one-year pact worth $17 million.

Conforto, 32 in March, was selected by the Mets 10th overall in the 2014 draft and emerged as an impact bat for the club early in his career. In his first six seasons as a big leaguer, Conforto hit an incredible .259/.358/.484 with a wRC+ of 128. Conforto made one All-Star appearance, hit 118 homers in 632 games and established himself as one of the NL’s best young forwards. Unfortunately, however, Conforto was dogged by shoulder issues early in his career, culminating after a poor 2021 season (104 wRC+). Conforto rejected the qualifying offer and entered free agency in line for a solid payday, but required surgery during the 2021-22 lockout and ultimately did not sign a contract for the 2022 season as he recovered .

Since then, Conforto has been part of San Francisco’s corner outfield mix. He avoided further shoulder problems while with the Giants, but has yet to reach the heights he reached offensively during his days in Queens. In two seasons with the club, Conforto slashed just .238/.322/.418 with a 105 wRC+ over 255, a figure that is generally in line with his last down year with the Mets. That lack of offense made Conforto expendable enough for the Giants that they considered trade offers on him this summer, although no deal ultimately came together and Conforto remained in San Francisco.

While his time with the Giants may suggest that offensive production only slightly better than league average is the new normal for Conforto, one major confounding factor offers reason for optimism that he could take a step forward with Los Angeles: He struggled for a .231/. 309/.365 within Oracle Park’s suppression offenses throughout his career. This year in particular, Conforto managed only an 83 WRC+ at home versus a much more robust 133 WRC+ on the road. Over the two years Conforto was a Giant, Oracle Park was the second-worst park in baseball in terms of offense, ahead of only Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Dodger Stadium, meanwhile, is around league average as the 17th best park in the majors for offense.

While the Dodgers are certainly hoping that Conforto unlocks something closer to the form he displayed during his 20 years in New York with them this year, the 105 wRC+ he’s put up over the past three seasons would also help bolster the team’s sparse outfield mix club. The Dodgers’ outfielders combined for a WRC+ of just 101 last year, a figure that has drastically improved thanks to the contributions of Teoscar Hernandez AND Mookie Betts. Hernandez is currently a free agent, however, and while Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers are sticking with him even after signing Conforto, there’s no guarantee he’ll be donning a Dodgers uniform in 2025. With Betts booked for a infield role next season, which left the Dodgers with a projected outfield of Tommy Edman, James OutmannAND Andy Pages for next season. Pages’ 100 wRC+ led that trio in 2024, and even a relatively mediocre season for Conforto would be a huge improvement over Outman’s horrible 54 wRC+ in 53 games last year.

More to come…